Seattle Pacific University
Encyclopedia
Seattle Pacific University (SPU) is a Christian
university
of the liberal arts
, science
s and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church
as the Seattle Seminary. It became the Seattle Seminary and College in 1913, changed names again to Seattle Pacific College in 1915, and took its present name in 1977. Seattle Pacific University is a member of the Christian College Consortium
.
on the northern slope of the residential neighborhood of Queen Anne Hill, close to the artsy Fremont
neighborhood. Some of the massive trees in the campus' Tiffany Loop are the oldest remaining original trees in Seattle. One of these trees collapsed in Winter 2006, which led to the inspection and removal of three other trees in the vicinity. SPU also owns and operates two satellite
campuses: a wilderness field station specializing in biology
on Blakely Island in the San Juan Islands
and former military fort turned retreat facility at Camp Casey on Whidbey Island
.
The Clocktower in front of Demaray Hall was given to Seattle Pacific University by the class of 1966 (then Seattle Pacific College). It has many symbols on the front which students speculate as to what they mean.
Gwinn Commons is home to three different areas of interest. The most-used portion of Gwinn Commons is the Crossroads, which is on the second floor. The Crossroads at Gwinn Commons is the dining hall on campus, which is managed by Sodexo. Long lines can form around Gwinn Commons during the lunch and dinner meal times as students are all trying to enter. Upstairs in Gwinn Commons is the University's most prized multi-use location. A pair of large rooms, the Queen Anne Room (named after the neighborhood that SPU is in) and the Cascade Room (named after the mountain range
that can be seen from Upper Gwinn Commons) can hold up to 500 people. Many different functions are held in Upper Gwinn, ranging from Group, a Wednesday night worship service, admissions events, lectures, board meetings and more. There is also a smaller dining room called the Presidents Dining room, which is used only at the President's discretion. The final location in Gwinn Commons is the Corner Place Market, or C-Store, which is not connected to any of the other parts of Gwinn. The C-Store holds a full Subway
and also a convenience-style store. Wells Gwinn, for whom the dining facility is named, served 32 years on the Seattle Pacific Board of Trustees.
The four-floor Seattle Pacific Library was completed in 1994. It houses over 200,000 volumes and 1,300 print periodicals, and grows by 6,000 new titles a year. Students and faculty have access to the collections of the Orbis Cascade Alliance
, comprising over 30 million items held in Washington and Oregon
academic libraries
, including the University of Washington
. In addition to printed reference
materials, the library also hosts many electronic
sources, including abstracts
and indexes
from ProQuest Direct, EBSCOHost, First Search, and other online services, and is available at all computers in library and on campus, including several computer labs in library.
In Summer 2007, the library began a series called "Thursday Food for Thought." At the weekly lunchtime readings, campus authors (faculty and staff) read from their published works.
options, such as the Robbins and Wesley apartments, and other small suite- or apartment-style living facilities for continuing students. All residence halls feature single-gender floors. The four residence halls are Ashton Hall, Hill Hall, Moyer Hall, and Emerson Hall.
Freshmen are required to live on campus in the residence halls unless they are living with family. Meal plans are required for all students living in the dorms. Students may leave campus housing when they are 20 years old, have junior class status, have petitioned and been approved to live off campus by Campus Housing, or are graduate students.
Ashton Hall, opened in 1965, is SPU’s largest residence hall with more than 400 students on 12 floors. Nine of the floors are for women, and the other three floors are for men. It was named in honor of Philip F. Ashton, Ph.D., a psychology professor (1929–1971). The hall is located on the highest point of SPU's campus. Many rooms have views of the campus and the Lake Washington Ship Canal
. Annual Ashton events include the Ashton Cup lip-sync contest, the Ashton Art Show, and a formal ball. In previous years the ball has been held at the Space Needle
, on an Argosy Cruise, and at Seattle's W Hotel. Ashton Hall is also home to the Orangemen of 6th West, the male cheer squad who display their school spirit by attending men's basketball home games and some away games, leading cheers for the Falcons and occasionally against the referees and the other team.
Emerson Hall, opened in 2001, is the campus's newest residence hall, featuring suite
s, card-access security
, a main lounge
with gas fireplace and Northwest wood beams, and an exercise center. Emerson also has a "Bridges Program", which lets students participate in intentional programs and conversations related to global issues and cross-cultural relationships. Emerson events include a quarterly Coffee House, the Emerson Film Festival, and the Spring Banquet. The hall is named for the street on which it resides. Emerson is expensive but beautiful and has developing traditions.
Hill Hall, which opened in 1962, located in the upper middle of the campus just steps from Gwinn Commons and the SPU Library, is known as the "family" hall for its comfortable atmosphere. It features a newly updated main lounge, the REX athletic center, and the Hill Hall “beach”, a grassy area behind the hall popular for outdoor recreation
and sunbathing. Hill Hall events include the "Decades" Skate, a retreat to Camp Casey, an annual ball
, and 6th Hill "Beach Bash." It is named for the Reuben Hill family who donated property to the school for its expansion.
Moyer Hall, opened in 1953 and remodeled in 1983, is located in the center of the campus
on the edge of Tiffany Loop. The smallest of the traditional residence halls, Moyer was named in honor of Jacob Moyer, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and dean (1925–46). The hall's annual events include a fall retreat, an ice-broomball game, a citywide scavenger hunt
, and an all-hall banquet
. In the past, the ice-broomball game was played between residents of Moyer and Marston Hall (no longer used for housing). This annual "Toilet Bowl" match featured as its trophy a urinal removed from Moyer during the 1983 remodel, which the losing hall was required to display prominently the year following their loss. The 05–06 school year also introduced a new event called The Experience Moyer Project (EMP), which featured musical talent from the hall as well as a variety of other activities.
Robbins Apartments, opened in 1966 as on-campus, furnished one- and two-bedroom units with a kitchen and bathroom. The apartment
s are more independent from the school than traditional residence halls, both in attitude and its somewhat removed location from the rest of the campus. Annual events include the Robbins Thanksgiving Dinner, a winter retreat, the Queen Anne Collect-a-Can food drive, and an annual broom-ball game. The hall is named for Board of Trustees member and chair, Marion B. Robbins, who served 1946–1960.
Other apartment complexes, including Bailey, Cremona, 37/49 W Dravus, Falcon, and other buildings known by address rather than name are owned and maintained by SPU. These complexes differ from Robbins mainly in social structure due to the lack of internal hallways in most complexes. These apartments are closer to campus but provide a more independent-living situation. These apartments provide a great aggregate living environment among students. The exceptions are the 35 and 34 West Cremona apartments, which were remodeled in 2008–09 and 2009–10, respectively, and the Wesley Apartments at Cremona and Dravus, which are not owned or maintained by SPU but have been staffed by residence life since 2007. The Wesleys still have many features in common with SPU-owned apartments including peer advisers, SPU security response, and campus communication (campus extensions and internet).
reading list and the writing of a lengthy senior dissertation.
at the Division II level of the NCAA.
Men's Varsity Athletics
Women's Varsity Athletics
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
of the liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s and professions, located on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington, USA. It was founded in 1891 by the Oregon and Washington Conference of the Free Methodist Church
Free Methodist Church
The Free Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination within the holiness movement. It is evangelical in nature and has its roots in the Arminian-Wesleyan tradition....
as the Seattle Seminary. It became the Seattle Seminary and College in 1913, changed names again to Seattle Pacific College in 1915, and took its present name in 1977. Seattle Pacific University is a member of the Christian College Consortium
Christian College Consortium
The Christian College Consortium is an affiliation of Christian colleges and universities.-Member schools:Founded in 1971, the Consortium currently includes 13 member institutions located throughout the United States:*Asbury University*Bethel University...
.
Campus
SPU enjoys a 43 acres (17.4 ha) campusCampus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
on the northern slope of the residential neighborhood of Queen Anne Hill, close to the artsy Fremont
Fremont, Seattle, Washington
Fremont is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. Originally a separate city, it was annexed to Seattle in 1891. Named after Fremont, Nebraska, the hometown of two of its founders, L. H. Griffith and E...
neighborhood. Some of the massive trees in the campus' Tiffany Loop are the oldest remaining original trees in Seattle. One of these trees collapsed in Winter 2006, which led to the inspection and removal of three other trees in the vicinity. SPU also owns and operates two satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
campuses: a wilderness field station specializing in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
on Blakely Island in the San Juan Islands
San Juan Islands
The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the northwest corner of the contiguous United States between the US mainland and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of the U.S...
and former military fort turned retreat facility at Camp Casey on Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island
Whidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
.
Alexander Hall
Named after the first president of Seattle Pacific University, Alexander Beers, this four-story brick building is home to the School of Theology. The building also houses the Sociology, History, and Political Science departments within the College of Arts and Sciences. Alexander Hall is the oldest building on campus, and at the time of the University's founding it was also the only building on campus.Demaray Hall/Clocktower
Demaray Hall is the main academic building at Seattle Pacific University. It houses many classrooms as well as the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Student Academic Services and Student Financial Services. Upper Administrative offices are located in Demaray as well. Demaray Hall is named for Calvin Demaray.The Clocktower in front of Demaray Hall was given to Seattle Pacific University by the class of 1966 (then Seattle Pacific College). It has many symbols on the front which students speculate as to what they mean.
Gwinn Commons
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
that can be seen from Upper Gwinn Commons) can hold up to 500 people. Many different functions are held in Upper Gwinn, ranging from Group, a Wednesday night worship service, admissions events, lectures, board meetings and more. There is also a smaller dining room called the Presidents Dining room, which is used only at the President's discretion. The final location in Gwinn Commons is the Corner Place Market, or C-Store, which is not connected to any of the other parts of Gwinn. The C-Store holds a full Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
and also a convenience-style store. Wells Gwinn, for whom the dining facility is named, served 32 years on the Seattle Pacific Board of Trustees.
Library
Orbis Cascade Alliance
The Orbis Cascade Alliance is a library consortium serving libraries in the Northwest U.S. The consortium was formed through the 2003 merger of two previous consortia: Orbis and Cascade...
, comprising over 30 million items held in Washington and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
academic libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, including the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. In addition to printed reference
Reference
Reference is derived from Middle English referren, from Middle French rèférer, from Latin referre, "to carry back", formed from the prefix re- and ferre, "to bear"...
materials, the library also hosts many electronic
Computer file
A computer file is a block of arbitrary information, or resource for storing information, which is available to a computer program and is usually based on some kind of durable storage. A file is durable in the sense that it remains available for programs to use after the current program has finished...
sources, including abstracts
Abstract (summary)
An abstract is a brief summary of a research article, thesis, review, conference proceeding or any in-depth analysis of a particular subject or discipline, and is often used to help the reader quickly ascertain the paper's purpose. When used, an abstract always appears at the beginning of a...
and indexes
Index (publishing)
An index is a list of words or phrases and associated pointers to where useful material relating to that heading can be found in a document...
from ProQuest Direct, EBSCOHost, First Search, and other online services, and is available at all computers in library and on campus, including several computer labs in library.
In Summer 2007, the library began a series called "Thursday Food for Thought." At the weekly lunchtime readings, campus authors (faculty and staff) read from their published works.
Peterson Hall
Peterson Hall is the second-oldest building on campus and houses the School of Education as well as Family and Consumer Sciences. In the basement is a food lab as well as a sewing lab for the Nutrition and Fashion students, respectively. Every month, SPU's food lab plays host to a Community Kitchen; a time for homeless people to come and assist with cooking meals that they then all eat together.Student Union Building
The Student Union Building (commonly called the SUB) was built in the 1960's and still stands as the central point where many students gather. On the first floor there is the Pacific Collegium, which is a central hub for commuter students. Food provided by the on campus dining services, Sodexo can be found in the SUB. UNICOM, a student-run information desk answers the general SPU phone line as well as assists with ticket sales, bus passes, pool passes, among other general information items. ASSP, the student government of SPU has its offices in the SUB along with STUB, the student event programming organization.Science Building
As the newest building on campus, the Science Building houses biology, chemistry and some psychology labs for the University. Built in 2003, it is the most advanced building on campus, complete with an electron microscope, cold room, fully contained greenhouse and LEED Certification. This building has provided many learning opportunities for students, especially ones involved in the Pre-Professional Health Sciences programs. SPU's Pre-Med track has become widely known for its 90-100% acceptance into medical schools right out of SPU.Residences
Seattle Pacific University has four residence halls. The university offers other on-campus residenceHouse
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
options, such as the Robbins and Wesley apartments, and other small suite- or apartment-style living facilities for continuing students. All residence halls feature single-gender floors. The four residence halls are Ashton Hall, Hill Hall, Moyer Hall, and Emerson Hall.
Freshmen are required to live on campus in the residence halls unless they are living with family. Meal plans are required for all students living in the dorms. Students may leave campus housing when they are 20 years old, have junior class status, have petitioned and been approved to live off campus by Campus Housing, or are graduate students.
Ashton Hall, opened in 1965, is SPU’s largest residence hall with more than 400 students on 12 floors. Nine of the floors are for women, and the other three floors are for men. It was named in honor of Philip F. Ashton, Ph.D., a psychology professor (1929–1971). The hall is located on the highest point of SPU's campus. Many rooms have views of the campus and the Lake Washington Ship Canal
Lake Washington Ship Canal
The Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs through the City of Seattle, Washington, connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Ship Canal includes a series of locks, modeled after the Panama Canal, to accommodate the different water levels...
. Annual Ashton events include the Ashton Cup lip-sync contest, the Ashton Art Show, and a formal ball. In previous years the ball has been held at the Space Needle
Space Needle
The Space Needle is a tower in Seattle, Washington and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair, during which time nearly 20,000 people a day used the elevators, with over...
, on an Argosy Cruise, and at Seattle's W Hotel. Ashton Hall is also home to the Orangemen of 6th West, the male cheer squad who display their school spirit by attending men's basketball home games and some away games, leading cheers for the Falcons and occasionally against the referees and the other team.
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
s, card-access security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
, a main lounge
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
with gas fireplace and Northwest wood beams, and an exercise center. Emerson also has a "Bridges Program", which lets students participate in intentional programs and conversations related to global issues and cross-cultural relationships. Emerson events include a quarterly Coffee House, the Emerson Film Festival, and the Spring Banquet. The hall is named for the street on which it resides. Emerson is expensive but beautiful and has developing traditions.
Hill Hall, which opened in 1962, located in the upper middle of the campus just steps from Gwinn Commons and the SPU Library, is known as the "family" hall for its comfortable atmosphere. It features a newly updated main lounge, the REX athletic center, and the Hill Hall “beach”, a grassy area behind the hall popular for outdoor recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
and sunbathing. Hill Hall events include the "Decades" Skate, a retreat to Camp Casey, an annual ball
Ball
A ball is a round, usually spherical but sometimes ovoid, object with various uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch, marbles and juggling...
, and 6th Hill "Beach Bash." It is named for the Reuben Hill family who donated property to the school for its expansion.
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
on the edge of Tiffany Loop. The smallest of the traditional residence halls, Moyer was named in honor of Jacob Moyer, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and dean (1925–46). The hall's annual events include a fall retreat, an ice-broomball game, a citywide scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunt
A scavenger hunt is a game in which the organizers prepare a list defining specific items, using which the participants — individuals or teams — seek to gather all items on the list — usually without purchasing them — or perform tasks or take photographs of the items, as specified...
, and an all-hall banquet
Banquet
A banquet is a large meal or feast, complete with main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose such as a charitable gathering, a ceremony, or a celebration, and is often preceded or followed by speeches in honour of someone....
. In the past, the ice-broomball game was played between residents of Moyer and Marston Hall (no longer used for housing). This annual "Toilet Bowl" match featured as its trophy a urinal removed from Moyer during the 1983 remodel, which the losing hall was required to display prominently the year following their loss. The 05–06 school year also introduced a new event called The Experience Moyer Project (EMP), which featured musical talent from the hall as well as a variety of other activities.
Robbins Apartments, opened in 1966 as on-campus, furnished one- and two-bedroom units with a kitchen and bathroom. The apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s are more independent from the school than traditional residence halls, both in attitude and its somewhat removed location from the rest of the campus. Annual events include the Robbins Thanksgiving Dinner, a winter retreat, the Queen Anne Collect-a-Can food drive, and an annual broom-ball game. The hall is named for Board of Trustees member and chair, Marion B. Robbins, who served 1946–1960.
Other apartment complexes, including Bailey, Cremona, 37/49 W Dravus, Falcon, and other buildings known by address rather than name are owned and maintained by SPU. These complexes differ from Robbins mainly in social structure due to the lack of internal hallways in most complexes. These apartments are closer to campus but provide a more independent-living situation. These apartments provide a great aggregate living environment among students. The exceptions are the 35 and 34 West Cremona apartments, which were remodeled in 2008–09 and 2009–10, respectively, and the Wesley Apartments at Cremona and Dravus, which are not owned or maintained by SPU but have been staffed by residence life since 2007. The Wesleys still have many features in common with SPU-owned apartments including peer advisers, SPU security response, and campus communication (campus extensions and internet).
Ministries
As a university deeply committed to the Christian faith, Seattle Pacific University has recently updated its ministry program, developing the Office of University Ministries and Center for Worship. These programs focus on being involved in the Christian story and history, bringing people together in community, and investing in God’s work. The programs’ 37-Five project enables students engaged in the ministries to give through the University to nonprofit organizations they are passionate about by donating money to organizations that are nominated by students.Traditions
- New Student Convocation: has its roots in a 1932 convocationConvocationA Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
where new students and faculty gathered to celebrate the opportunities and challenges of the new academic year that lies ahead. - 37-Five Project: Starting in the 2007–08 school year, the CFE program has been replaced in favor of a new project called 37-five. This project is a completely voluntary program where students who participate in on-campus worship events can apply to direct funds to non-profit organizations through the Office of University Ministries and Center for worship.
- Homecoming: First instituted in 1935 at the school’s 42nd Commencement, HomecomingHomecomingHomecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
is now celebrated in early Winter Quarter and hosts class reunionClass reunionA class reunion is a meeting of former classmates, typically organized at or near their former school by one of the class on or around an anniversary of their graduation. Former teachers may be invited as well...
s, athletic events, dramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
and musicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
performancePerformanceA performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
s, a student talent showTalent showA talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
, and other gatherings of alumni, students, and faculty. - Tradition: TraditionTraditionA tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
represents the SPU community's ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
celebrationPartyA party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
. Begun in the late 1980s, Tradition takes place in the Tiffany Loop during the first week of December and focuses on the birth of ChristChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
through hosting a Christmas tree-lighting, carol singing, sleigh or horse rides, readings of the Christmas storyNativity of JesusThe Nativity of Jesus, or simply The Nativity, refers to the accounts of the birth of Jesus in two of the Canonical gospels and in various apocryphal texts....
, and live nativitiesNativity playA Nativity play or Christmas pageant is a play which recounts the story of the Nativity of Jesus. It is usually performed at Christmas, the feast of the Nativity.-Liturgical:...
. - Ivy Cutting: A part of SPU graduation since 1922, graduates receive a cutting from a long ring of ivyIvyIvy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...
, symbolizing the graduate's ties to the universityUniversityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
and new life found afterward. - Baccalaureate: Occurring the night before Graduation, this service of worshipService of worshipIn the Protestant denominations of Christianity, a service of worship is a meeting whose primary purpose is the worship of God. The phrase is normally shortened to service. It is also commonly called a worship service...
and reflectionIntrospectionIntrospection is the self-observation and reporting of conscious inner thoughts, desires and sensations. It is a conscious and purposive process relying on thinking, reasoning, and examining one's own thoughts, feelings, and, in more spiritual cases, one's soul...
is planned by the senior graduating class and featuring student speakers. - Commencement: CommencementGraduationGraduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
celebrates the scholarship, service, and Christian growth of graduating seniors, and degrees are awarded for both undergraduate and graduateGraduate schoolA graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
level students. - Social Venture Plan Competition: Beginning in 2007, SPU annually sponsors a voluntary Social Venture Plan Competition in which students develop projects that can make a difference in the world. By requiring students to develop business proposals that are later judged by Seattle-area small business owners, the Social Venture Competition develops participants' entrepreneurial skills.
- 2007 Winner: Karman Tandon (University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
) and Brandon Teng (SPU) with Care For Kids - 2010 Winner : Allen Klein, Kevin McFarland, Mark Cotton, Kathryn Imler, Winslow Moran-Hodge, and Jamie Durbin - Seattle Pacific University - Idyll Energy Solutions
- 2007 Winner: Karman Tandon (University of Washington
Student enrollment
(Statistics are based on Autumn Quarter 2010)- Total enrollment: 4,117
- Undergraduate students: 3,139
- Post-baccalaureate students: 25
- Graduate Students: 953
- Continuing Education: 3,584 (Summer 2010)
Class size
- 79.9 percent of the Autumn Quarter 2008 undergraduate classes had enrollments of 30 or less.
- Institutional Student-Faculty Ratio 15:1 (Based on Common Data Set definition)
Academic program statistics
- Undergraduate Majors - 61
- Undergraduate Minors - 53
- Master’s and Post-Master's Degrees - 15
- Doctoral Programs - 5
Academic structure
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Fine Arts
- Humanities
- Science and Engineering
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
- School of Business and Economics
- School of Education
- School of Health Sciences
- School of Psychology, Family and Community
- School of Theology
Graduate studies
- Master of Arts
- Master of Arts in Theology (M.A.)
- Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
- Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
- Master of Education (M.Ed.)
- Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
- Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.)
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology (Ph.D.)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (Ph.D.)
Honors
SPU offers an four-year alternate series of general education classes for honors students called University Scholars that revolves around a Great BooksGreat Books
Great Books refers primarily to a group of books that tradition, and various institutions and authorities, have regarded as constituting or best expressing the foundations of Western culture ; derivatively the term also refers to a curriculum or method of education based around a list of such books...
reading list and the writing of a lengthy senior dissertation.
Athletic profile
The university's athletic teams participate in the Great Northwest Athletic ConferenceGreat Northwest Athletic Conference
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which has historically operated in the Northwestern United States, but also currently includes four schools in areas not usually considered part of that region—two in Alaska , one in eastern Montana The Great Northwest...
at the Division II level of the NCAA.
Men's Varsity Athletics
- Basketball
- Cross CountryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Track & Field
Women's Varsity Athletics
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Gymnastics
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Track & Field
- Volleyball
Notable alumni
- Jake DeShazer — DoolittleDoolittle RaidThe Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
raider, missionary to Japan - Gordon FeeGordon FeeGordon Donald Fee is an American-Canadian Christian theologian and an ordained minister of the Assemblies of God . He currently serves as Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada.-Biography:...
— Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Biblical scholar, textual critic - Ken BoneKen Bone-Coaching career:Bone graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1983. He was an assistant coach at Shorecrest HS in Shoreline, WA and Cal State Stanislaus before returning to Seattle Pacific as an assistant coach in 1986, becoming the head coach in 1990...
'82 — Head Basketball Coach at Washington State UniversityWashington State UniversityWashington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university... - Eugene H. PetersonEugene H. PetersonEugene H. Peterson , is a pastor, scholar, author, and poet. He has written over thirty books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language , a contemporary translation of the Bible.-Personal life:Peterson was born in East Stanwood, Washington and grew...
'54 — author of The MessageThe Message (Bible)The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language was created by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002. It is an idiomatic translation of the original languages of the Bible.-History:... - Doris Brown HeritageDoris Brown HeritageDoris Brown was born on September 17, 1942 in Tacoma, Washington.Brown went to Peninsula High School in Gig Harbor, Washington, graduating in 1960. She then attended Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington where she earned a B.A. in 1964 and a M.S. in 1971.In 1966, Brown became the first...
'64 — five-time world cross-country champion, coach, USA Track and FieldUSA Track and FieldUSA Track & Field is the United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking...
Hall of Fame - Larry WallLarry WallLarry Wall is a programmer and author, most widely known for his creation of the Perl programming language in 1987.-Education:Wall earned his bachelor's degree from Seattle Pacific University in 1976....
'76 — programmerProgrammerA programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
, linguistLinguisticsLinguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, most widely known for his creation of the PerlPerlPerl is a high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming language. Perl was originally developed by Larry Wall in 1987 as a general-purpose Unix scripting language to make report processing easier. Since then, it has undergone many changes and revisions and become widely popular...
programming languageProgramming languageA programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely....
in 1987 - Marcus HahnemannMarcus HahnemannMarcus Stephen Hahnemann is an American international soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Everton.Graduating out of Seattle Pacific University, he played for the Seattle Sounders between 1994 and 1996. Between 1997 and 1999 he turned out for the Colorado Rapids, signing with English club...
'93 — Goalkeeper for Men's National Soccer Team, Goalkeeper for Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... - Jeff ProbstJeff ProbstJeffrey Lee "Jeff" Probst is an American game show host, executive producer and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show Survivor.-Biography:...
, attended Autumn Quarter 1987, host of Survivor - Dan Price '08 — 2010 SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and founder of Gravity PaymentsGravity PaymentsGravity Payments is the largest payment processor in Washington. Founded in February of 2004, Gravity Payments is wholly owned by two brothers, Dan Price and Lucas Price. Gravity Payments provides merchant processing services to clients nationally with the most concentrated client bases in...
Presidents of SPU
| Alexander A. Beers, Ph.B., M.A. | 1893–1916 |
| Orrin E. Tiffany, Ph.D. | 1916–1926 |
| C. Hoyt Watson, Litt.D. | 1926–1959 |
| C. Dorr Demaray, Litt.D | 1959–1968 |
| David L. McKenna, Ph.D. | 1968–1982 |
| David C. Le Shana, Ph.D. | 1982–1991 |
| Curtis A. Martin, Ph.D | 1991–1995 |
| E. Arthur Self, Ph.D. | 1995–1996 |
| Phillip W. Eaton, Ph.D. | 1996—2012 |
External links
- Seattle Pacific University official web site
- IMAGE Comes to SPU
- KSPU College Radio
- The Falcon Online